The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed banning the use of hand-held cell phones by interstate commercial truck and bus drivers.

The proposed safety rule would prohibit commercial drivers from “reaching for, holding or dialing a cell phone while operating” a commercial motor vehicle, the DOT said.

“Every time a commercial truck or bus driver takes his or her eyes off the road to use a cell phone, even for a few seconds, the driver places everyone around them at risk,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a recent DOT statement. “This proposed rule will go a long way toward keeping a driver’s full attention focused on the road.”

Commercial drivers who reach for a cell phone or other object while driving are three times more likely to be involved in a crash or related incident, the DOT said. Drivers dialing a hand-held, cell phone while driving have a six times greater risk for getting into an accident or similar incident, adds the DOT.

Many of the nation’s largest commercial carriers, such as UPS, Covenant Transport, and Wal,art, already ban drivers from using hand-held phones, according to the DOT.

Under the proposal, if there are violations, drivers would face penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense and could lose their commercial driver’s license if they are guilty of multiple offenses.

States would suspend a commercial driver’s license after they are found guilty of two or more violations of a state law regulating hand-held, cell phone use, says the DOT.

In addition, carriers that allow drivers to use hand-held, cell phones while they drive commercially could be fined up to $11,000, according to the DOT.

The DOT said it estimates some four million interstate commercial drivers would be affected by the ban.

In September 2010, the government banned text messaging while operating a commercial motor vehicle.

“We are committed to using every resource at our disposal to ensure commercial drivers and vehicles are operating safely at all times,” said the DOT’s Anne S. Ferro. “Implementation of this proposal would help make our roads safer and target a leading cause of distracted driving.”

TMCnet reports the DOT found that 5,474 deaths were caused by distracted driving in 2009. That represents an increase of 1,002 since 2005.

MSNBC reported that lack of attention was a factor in 9 percent of large truck crashes in 2009. In addition, lack of attention was a factor in between 6 and 13 percent of bus crashes, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation, according to MSNBC.

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposed ban.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s has set up a website on distracted driving.